The Very First Christmas
"The Very First Christmas" is a mini-story that is part of the EMPATH: The Luckiest Smurf story series. The Story Empath, Smurfette, Brainy, Duncan McSmurf, and Polaris Psyche were together with Tapper in the Imaginarium around Christmas, where he wanted to show his friends something really important. "What you are about to witness to the best of my ability of creating it, my fellow Smurfs, is the very first Christmas," Tapper said before the scene changed to a bustling city street somewhere in the ancient Middle East. "Okay, so riddle me this: if it's supposed to be Christmas, where's the snow?" Brainy asked. "Aye, and where's all the decorations, laddie?" Duncan added. "Gee, it doesn't look like it's going to be Christmas wherever it is that we're in, Tapper," Smurfette said. "That's because where we're in is an important place where Christmas all began, in the little town of Bethlehem in a place called Judea, which is best known to us as Israel," Tapper said. "But the lack of snow does concern this smurf, Tapper, unless it's supposed to have happened at a different time of the year for that region of the world," Empath commented. "It is believed by some that the very first Christmas wasn't in wintertime, my fellow Empath, but during one of the seven feasts of Israel, and it is during that time that we'll see two of the important characters in the story who are part of smurfing about the first Christmas," Tapper said. "That certainly explains the presence of humans in this Imaginarium fantasy setting, although to the same scale as ourselves," Polaris Psyche said. "So where are these two important characters in your story, Tapper?" Brainy asked. Tapper watched and then said, "Here they are...the man with the donkey and a woman smurfing it." The six Smurfs watched the man, the woman, and the donkey approaching them, though like everybody else in the fantasy setting, they took no notice of the Smurfs and the Psyche who were observing them. "Here we are, my dear Mary...the little town of Bethlehem, which is the home of my father King David," the man said. "Now we just need to find a place to stay so that we can be registered." "I hope we can find a place soon, Joseph," Mary said as she clutched her stomach. "Our child is about to be born into this world." "I only wish that it were my child, but this is the work of the Almighty that you should bear His child before we have one of our own, Mary," Joseph said. "Soon, my husband, soon," Mary said as she looked into his eyes with love. And so the six Smurfs followed Mary and Joseph through the town as they looked for somebody that might take them in, but unfortunately they met with the same response: there was just no room for them. Then they came across one last place, which was the local inn. "I'm sorry that we just don't have enough room for you and your child, but we do have a stable nearby that you can use to rest," the innkeeper said. Joseph sighed. "We will have to make do with a stable, Mary, if that is all right with you." Mary nodded. "As long as there is someplace where we can give birth to the baby." Joseph then led the donkey around to the stable where he helped Mary down and onto a soft bed of hay where they could give birth. "I don't get it, Tapper," Smurfette said. "If this is supposed to be the Almighty's Son that Mary is smurfing birth to, why is she smurfing birth inside a stable?" "That's part of the prophecy that was smurfed about the child, Smurfette," Tapper said. "It is written, 'And you, Bethlehem, in the land of Judah, are not the least among the leaders of Judah; for out of you shall come One leading Who will shepherd My people Israel.'" "But for a son like this to be smurfed in a dingy stable? That doesn't make the most amount of sense, if the Almighty wanted His child to be known by the whole world," Brainy said. "It is the way that the Almighty has chosen for Him, my fellow Brainy," Tapper said. "His wisdom may seem like foolishness to men, but only because His wisdom far surpasses that of man, having smurfed the end from the very beginning." "Mary doesn't seem to be in much pain giving birth to this Son, Tapper," Empath noted. "It almost reminds this smurf of what Papa Smurf said about how it was with my Mama Smurf giving birth to this smurf." "Your telepathic and telekinetic abilities must have been active throughout the entire time that you were inside your mother's womb, even to the time of your birth, Empath," Polaris Psyche said. "But this is all part of the bairn's divine nature, isn't it, laddie?" Duncan asked. "The birth of children was only made painful for women because of what the first woman in the world did when she was deceived by the serpent, my fellow Duncan," Tapper said. "She's still brave for having to endure such a birth," Smurfette said as he continued to watch. Soon there was a cry of a newborn as Joseph and Mary completed the delivery of the child. "There he is, Mary," Joseph said, smiling. "It's just as the prophecies have said...it's a boy." "Praise the Lord, He has made this possible," Mary said as she held the child close to her after he was cleansed with water from the trough. "Oh, the child is just so adorable," Smurfette said as she got a closer look at him. "It's hard to believe that he's going to be the Savior of the world." "This smurf would find it nearly impossible to believe it myself, Smurfette," Empath said. "It must be humbling for the Almighty's Son to be born in such a fashion, to parents that are just struggling to have a roof over their heads." "That's why the Scriptures say that, though He was in the form of God, He didn't consider it robbery to be equal with God, but rather He made Himself of no reputation, taking the form of a bondservant, and coming in the likeness of men, Empath," Tapper said. "And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself and became obedient to the point of death, even the death of the cross." "That still leaves how the world would come to know about this bairn that would be the Savior, Tapper," Duncan said. "Let me smurf you to a scene that takes place around this time, my friends," Tapper said. And in an instant, the scene around the manger was changed to that of being out in the fields with the shepherds in the middle of the night. "Shepherds?" Brainy asked. "Now why would shepherds be the ones who would want to know about the Savior?" "Just watch and you will see, Brainy," Tapper said. And as they watched, there suddenly shone a bright light in the sky as an angel appeared among the shepherds, who became afraid at the sight. The angel said, "Do not fear, for behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy which will be to all people. For there is born to you this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. And this is the sign to you: You will find a Babe wrapped in swaddling cloths, lying in a manger." And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying: "Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, goodwill among men!" When the angels disappeared, the shepherds said among themselves, "Let us go at once to Bethlehem and see this thing that has come to pass, which the Lord has made known to us." And then instantly, the Smurfs reappeared at the stable where Joseph, Mary, and the Almighty's Son were still resting, and soon enough the shepherds also appeared. "Is this the child that was born on this very night?" one of the shepherds asked as they saw the baby lying in the manger. "Yes, it is," Mary answered. "I have been blessed with the privilege of being His mother from the Lord Himself." The shepherds bowed before the child as they saw him. "We must share this news with the others, that the Lord has visited His people at long last," one of the shepherds said. "But would any of them believe that He has come through such a family like this?" another shepherd asked. "Whether they believe this news or not, what matters is that the good news must to be told to everyone," the first shepherd said. And as the Smurfs saw the shepherds leave and tell the people in the neighborhood about the wonderful news, Duncan said, "So this whole Christmas thing has nothing to do with smurfing ornaments on trees or candy canes or bright colored wrapping or anything like that?" "It all has to do with one particular tree, my fellow Duncan: the Tree of Life," Tapper answered. "Because mankind had sinned, he was denied access to the tree with fruit that would have smurfed him everlasting life. So the Almighty has smurfed us a present in the form of His only begotten Son, who would smurf His life upon another tree and rise from the dead on the third day to give those who believe in Him access to the Tree of Life." "It's still just a fascinating story, Tapper, but I can't really smurf it as being the truth," Brainy said. "It does make this smurf wonder about Mr. Nicholas and his red suit, if that is supposed to be symbolic of the Almighty's Son and His future appearance from Heaven at His second coming," Empath said. "That's not something to be smurfed lightly, Empath," Tapper said. "Mr. Nicholas can only give earthly gifts to those who he smurfs are good, but the Almighty's Son can give us forgiveness of sins and eternal life to those who are willing to receive Him as their Lord and Savior. That is the one gift that truly smurfs for anything in this world." "This one would wish to know more about this Almighty that you are so enamored with, Tapper," Polaris said. "I would be happy to smurf everything I know about him to you, my fellow Polaris, but what I know of Him pales only in comparison with how much the Almighty is willing to reveal Himself to those who smurf after Him with all their hearts," Tapper said. "It makes me wonder what it would be like to be the mother of your child someday, Empath, if we decide on getting married," Smurfette said. "This smurf could only wish that it would be just as monumental as the birth of this child whom we are celebrating, Smurfette," Empath said. Smurfette giggled. "He or she may not become the Savior of the world, but I would still be happy and honored to be the mother in any case." Category:Empath the Luckiest Smurf stories Category:Mini-stories Category:VicGeorge2K9's articles Category:Biblical stories Category:December holidays stories Category:Tapper's Bible lessons